International Journal for Pastors February 2004 F I R GLANCE
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International Journal for Pastors February 2004 F I R GLANCE /""% Justly integrating covenant, law, and sabbath The enduring relationship between the biblical covenant, law, and the seventh-day Sabbath Roy Cane The covenants: a developmental approach The ongoing nature of the biblical covenants as the JjJ kingdom of God emerges Smuts van Rooyen Ellen C. White: prophetic voice for the last dayS International AtJvisors:AJe|,mdroBulton,^hn An exposition of the Seventh-day Adventist belief in the "Spirit of Prophecy" and its manifestations in the ministry of Ellen G. White Alberto Timrn Paul, law, and covenants A comprehensive overview of Paul©s understanding of the law in relation to the biblical covenant Hans LaRondelle Subscriptions:^ "|ISl?f .99; ; © The pre-Advent judgment: fact or fiction? (part 2) The final part of a fresh look at the Adventist doctrine of the investigative judgment Gerhard Pfandl t Secu*y numb Response to Dale Ratzlaff W.S; So* ,Seo««y Hwwtw), feml.etteW <i KSfil OW' C«>h«toi»• Pita,' Jjtw A statement and letter involving Dale Ratzlaff, who has published materials opposing Adventist positions on the law and the Sabbath Alden Thompson Preaching with ERIC: four sermon essentials Four indispensable elements in good preaching Patrick Boyle Mate MINISTRY T T R INTERESTINGLY, IT AS NOT UNTIL THE BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH AT i©HESUS WERE BAPTIZED IN THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT THE CHURCH BECAME A MISSIONARY CHURCH robably Adly Campos ("Women in Johnsson demonstrates how those who ministry. Interestingly, it was not until the P Evangelism: The Church©s Buried "wield the pen" should do it in his believers in the church at Ephesus were Talent?" October 2003) isn©t old splendid article "Baptism: Gateway to baptized in the baptism of Jesus and enough to remember the great contri New Life." He rightfully affirms that received the Holy Spirit that the church bution women made to evangelism in "baptism is tied to the person and work became a missionary church. the 1930s and 1940s. I remember it of Jesus Christ," that baptism has "con What are the implications of this well. We probably would never have fessional significance," that baptism is model for the Chrisitan? Through His heard of J. L. Shuler, Fordyce Detamore, the "transition to new life as are these baptism Christ was initiated into the or the Venden brothers, had it not been biblical meanings of baptism," ministry which led Him to the cross and for women Bible instructors who made Johnsson, agrees, none of these mean resurrection. By seeking the baptism of them successful. Adly Campos quoted: ings applies directly to Jesus. So is there John, Jesus Himself interpreted His bap "They can do in families what men can more? tism as one of identification with not do, a work that reaches the inner The answer lies in a question that sinners, the initiation of redemptive life. They can come close to the heart of Paul addressed to twelve converts in action, and His consecration to His those whom men cannot reach. Their Ephesus. "What baptism were you vocation. labor is needed." This is from the chap given?" he asked (Acts 19:3, NEB). They Similarly, through the Christian©s ter in the book Evangelism entitled "The responded, "John©s baptism" (ibid.). baptism, Christ incorporates the believer Bible Instructor." Usually Bible instruc The record goes on to distinguish into His body and commissions him for tors were much better soul-winners between John©s baptism and Jesus© bap participation in His ministry. The out than the pastors. Our women young tism, the former being a baptism of pouring of the Spirit at Pentecost is the and old need to be given a vision of water and the latter a baptism of water counterpart of what happened to Jesus the great work Bible instructors can do, and the Spirit. While Brother Bill admits at His baptism. The same Spirit who and our conferences need to provide that "Christian baptism goes beyond remained in Jesus for Messianic ministry budgets for hiring them. that of John," he limits the discussion of has, ever since Pentecost, dwelt in the Wayne A. Martin, Inman, South Carolina. baptism to the "new life" in Christ and church, which is the body of Christ on thus neglects to highlight an important the earth since the resurrection. Baptism thoroughly enjoyed Ron Gladden©s distinction: that if Christ©s baptism is the proclaims that as the Christian has been ( article "Paradigm Shifts in Evangelism prototype of Christian baptism, the called out of this world, so he returns to Today" (October 2003). He points out baptism of water and the baptism of the world as its servant. Sadly, for most, the ineffectiveness of traditional evan the Spirit belong together. baptism does not play this decisive role. gelism and our need to go further afield Clearly John©s baptism is inadequate Is this devaluation the result of separat in our evangelistic approaches. as is evident from the experience of ing the baptism of water and the bap Please urge Ron to write a Part 2 on Apollo, who "knew only John©s baptism" tism of the Spirit? how to go, on alternate methods. What (Acts 18:25, NEB). The real meaning of My conviction is that only the recov is working for others now in Athens? Jesus© baptism, marked by the descent of ery of the full meaning of baptism can Ron Wearner, Wiliamina, Oregon. the Spirit, was that He thereby received save from irrelevance our talk about the His ordination to the ministry (Matt. ministry of all believers. W larity is the supreme politeness" for 3:13-17; John 1:29-34). His baptism Rex Edwards, Criggs University, Silver c him who writes, and Dr. William G. marked the beginning of His Galiean Spring, Maryland. If you©re receiving Ministry bimonthly and haven©t paid for a subscription, it©s not a mistake. Since 1928 Ministry has been published for Free Subscription Seventh-day Adventist ministers. We believe, however, that the time has come for clergy everywhere to experience a resurgence of faith in the authority of Scripture and in the great truths that reveal the gospel of our salvation by grace, through faith alone in Jesus Christ. We want to share our aspirations and faith in a way that will provide inspiration and help to you as clergy. We hope you will accept this journal as our outstretched hand to you. Look over our shoul der, take what you want and find helpful, and discard what you can©t use. Bimonthly gift subscriptions are available to all licensed and/or ordained clergy. Requests should be on church letterhead and addressed to the editorial office. February 2004 MINISTRY EDITORIAL ARTICLE Covenants: From shadow to 3-D ost of us have had the experi or what, if anything, ends with the old, ence of repeatedly wrestling so that it is no longer obligatory under M with the biblical covenant the new?" theme and still being left with an itch Because of the fear of losing the sev that recurrently rouses our need to enth-day Sabbath, and indeed the moral scratch for further clarity and a deeper imperatives resident in the Ten understanding of this great theme. Commandments, Seventh-day Adven The issue of biblical covenants is tists have been afraid to admit that any important for many reasons, not the thing but the "ceremonial law" ended least of which is the foundational and when Jesus came (some have even had pervasive presence of the covenants trouble granting the end of the ceremo throughout the Bible and the fact that nial system in Christ). This has led some struggles to understand this theme Adventists to rather half-heartedly have pervaded the history of the according to the biblical record, the embrace the magnificent understandings Christian church from its earliest years. seventh-day Sabbath existed before and the enriched experience that were There still seems to be a significant there was sin, a Hebrew nation, a for introduced with the coming of the Jesus. haze resting on the theological land malized covenant of any kind, or a We Adventists must not be afraid of scape of Adventist covenant theology, formal expression of law, ceremonial or saying that there was an end to some and thus upon our personal faith experi moral. thing when Jesus came, along with the ence in these things. Their stand is also problematic beginning of something else, and that Near the heart of our Adventist because, despite the fact that the Moral there was not only that which continued covenant concerns is the supposed Law was indeed climactically expressed with the coming of the Messiah, but threat that some believe covenant the in Jesus Christ (see below), the Sabbath that which was terminated. But again, ology presents to the identity and itself was placed by God©s own person what continues and what terminates? reason for existence of the Seventh-day al initiative in the heart of the other nine As is so often the case, the thrust of Adventist movement. moral principles that seem to get little the way such a far-reaching question is In the last few years a number of ex- attention when these issues are dis worded (at least the way in which 1 Adventist ministers have raised this issue cussed in the context of the new have chosen to word it) may not be ulti again, but this time with a more explicit covenant. This divine design of the mately helpful and can lead to focus on Seventh-day Adventist posi Decalogue and God©s act of placing the confusing, labyrinthian answers, and tions such as the seventh-day Sabbath, fourth commandment in the company thus to the haziness we have acknowl that they believe should be jettisoned in of the other nine by all means implies edged when it comes to this question.